


Can't Help Falling In Love

by after_midnightmunchies



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Lance serenades Keith with his ukulele, M/M, Mutual Pining, romantic confessions, song-fic of sorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-05 00:57:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12783447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/after_midnightmunchies/pseuds/after_midnightmunchies
Summary: What better way to get your mutually pining bros together than to lock them in a room together with a ukulele?





	Can't Help Falling In Love

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a fairly older fic that had somehow gotten lost in my wips folder, despite being completely finished! I stumbled across it earlier and figured I should share the fluffy goodness. So here's some wholesome Klance for the soul!

Keith had been suspiciously quiet around him lately. Dense as he may have seemed, Lance paid attention enough to notice the red paladin fall silent whenever he walked into a room or spoke up during a mission. When asked a question directly, Keith would avoid eye contact and mumble a short reply before excusing himself from the room.

Lance didn’t know what triggered the sudden shift in demeanor. The other paladins played it off like it was some ruse that they were all in on, and that alone was enough to frustrate him. But not hearing Keith’s melodious voice or being able to stare into those rich violet eyes was slowly driving him mad.

“Hunk, do you think Keith’s been acting strange?” Lance finally asked. He’d approached his best friend in the kitchen during their free time one afternoon with the hopes of squeezing some answers out of him. He knew that if there was one egg that he could crack under pressure, it was Hunk.

The yellow paladin set his sandwich down to level a confused look at him. “What are you talking about?”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Come on, Hunk, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed how weird he’s been around me.”

Hunk shrugged. “He seems fine to me. Maybe he’s just tired of arguing with you.”

“No, that can’t be it. Our banter is the highlight of his day!” Lance stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe he’s caught some sort of Galra virus?”

“Beats me, man. Why don’t you just ask him yourself?” Hunk had picked his sandwich up again, a silent indication that he wanted to be finished with the conversation.

“Because every time I try to have a conversation with him, he ducks out of the room!” Lance pouted. “Just yesterday I walked in on him training, and before I could even say ‘hi,’ he ended the level, grabbed his towel, and ran out!”

Hunk finally took a bite, processing the new information as he chewed. “Is there a reason that you care so much about this?”

Lance blanched, as if the question offended him. “Of course! We’re teammates! How are we supposed to effectively communicate if he won’t even look at me?”

“Are you sure that’s the _only_ reason why you care?” Lance didn’t miss the mischievous glint in Hunk’s eyes.

“What are you fishing for here?”

“Fishing?” Hunk gasped, holding his hands up in feigned innocence. “I’m just trying to gather all of the facts here. I wouldn’t be opposed to you confessing anything, though…”

Lance made a _pssh_ noise, waving a hand dismissively. “Confessing something like what? How much I miss looking into Keith’s eyes? Or how much I miss his voice? Or how cute his face looks when he turns as red as his lion? You know all of that already!”

Hunk’s lips twitched up into a grin. “I know. The problem is that Keith doesn’t.”

Lance groaned and buried his face in his hands. “How am I supposed to tell him when he won’t even pass a napkin to me at dinner?” He slowly slid his hands down his cheeks until his big pouty eyes were exposed. “Hunk, did I screw this up?”

Sandwich abandoned, Hunk pulled Lance into a bear hug, giving the blue paladin time to calm down. “Trust me, you did nothing wrong. It’s not you, it’s Keith. He’s just… working through something personal right now.”

Lance willed his anxiety away so that he could process Hunk’s words. “‘Something personal?’ Has he talked to you about it? Does it have to do with me?”

A wave of regret seemed to wash over Hunk’s face before he answered solemnly, “I can’t tell you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do something for him!”

Lance raised a brow at that, waiting for his friend to elaborate.

“I think he could use some cheering up, and none of us are better at that than you.”

“If he won’t tolerate sitting next to me for dinner, how am I supposed to cheer him up?”

Hunk shrugged. “Do something small, like giving him a gift.”

_Giving him a gift? What did Keith even like? Maybe a new pair of fingerless gloves?_

“Please don’t buy him a pair of fingerless gloves,” Hunk added, reading his train of thought.

“What about haircare products? Maintaining that mullet can’t be cheap…”

“Lance,” Hunk sighed exasperatedly, “why don’t you come up with something more personal? Maybe something that’ll communicate how you feel?”

“Like a poem?”

Hunk’s eyes lit up. “Yes! That sounds great! Or maybe you could write him a song, like that one you wrote for that girl at the bar that one time!”

Lance grinned at the prospect before a thought occurred to him. “Wait, how would this help cheer him up?”

“Trust me, man, it’s exactly what he needs right now.”

Lance frowned at the vague answer, but didn’t press. Instead, he patted Hunk on the back, took a bite of his sandwich, and sauntered down the hallway in the direction of his room.

Immediately after the doors shut behind him, Hunk pulled his phone out.

**Hunk (3:42 pm): He took the bait.**

**Pidge (3:44 pm): WELL IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME!**

**Pidge (3:44 pm): I thought one of them would literally die from the anticipation!**

**Pidge (3:45 pm): I had the funeral arrangements planned out and everything!**

**Hunk (3:45 pm): Just make sure that Keef stays in his room tonight. Lance works pretty quickly with the right amount of inspiration.**

**Pidge (3:48 pm): Just hacked the controls for his door. He’s not going anywhere.**

**Hunk (3:49 pm): Have I ever told you how terrified I am of you?**

**Pidge (3:50 pm): You may have mentioned it once or twice.**

* * *

 

 

“Hello?? Can anyone hear me?” Keith pounded his fist weakly against his door, a groan escaping his lips when the metal failed to give way. A malfunction had turned his room into a prison cell, and he’d been trapped for almost three hours. No one was answering their phones, and no one seemed to hear his cries for help, either.

He could hear Lance faintly playing music in his room, and he was somewhat relieved that the other couldn’t hear him. He wasn’t sure which would be a worse fate: being trapped in his room for the rest of his life or facing his crush after a week of giving him the cold shoulder.

He couldn’t help it, really. He’d never felt so strongly toward anyone before, and he was shit at expressing his feelings. He was terrified at the prospect of rejection, and didn’t want to think about Lance hating him. He thought that avoidance may shake his emotions, but absence truly made the heart grow fonder.

Frustrated, he punched the door again, ignoring the pain that seized his hand in retaliation. Traitorous thoughts of Lance’s smooth face and soft hair and corny jokes and terrible flirting flooded his stream of consciousness.

His stomach grumbled, knocking him out of his stupor. It was a gracious reminder that he’d neglected to eat before returning to his room after training, and now he was suffering.

_I think I might have one of Hunk’s cookies in my jacket pocket…_

As he walked to his closet to investigate, the door suddenly _whooshed_ open, Lance standing in its space awkwardly. “Uh, Keith? Are you busy?”

Keith’s head bolted upright and he whirled around. “Lance! Don’t let the door close!”

“What?” The brunet had already invited himself inside, the door snapping shut behind him. He jumped, his jacket narrowly missing the metal trap. “Shit! What the hell, Keith?”

Keith ignored the indignant shriek in favor of examining the door. “Hmm, if it opened from the outside without a problem, it must be the touchpad on my side that’s broken…”

“Dude, what are you talking about?”

Keith sighed, refusing to face the blue paladin. “I’ve been locked in here for hours. I think my touchpad is malfunctioning.”

“Really? Why didn’t you just call me? I was in my room the whole time!” Was it just him, or was Lance sporting a pained expression?

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal…” Another growl from his stomach betrayed him.

“Like hell it wasn’t! You must be starving!” Lance frowned disapprovingly. “When did you last eat? And Shiro’s protein smoothies don’t count!”

Keith flushed at the attention. He didn’t understand why Lance was grilling him about something so trivial, especially after he’d been so cold to him. He did know that Lance wouldn’t like the answer to his question.

“Um… what time was dinner last night?”

“Keith!”

“Well you said that the protein smoothie that I had this morning didn’t count…”

“Because it isn’t even protein! It’s space goo and grass!”

“That’s like saying that tea is just ‘hot leaf juice!’”

“How could you even compare this to that?”

“Why does it even matter?” he grumbled, crossing his arms.

“What, I can’t be concerned about your health?”

“It’s your concern that bothers me!” Keith definitely didn’t mean for it to come out that way. He could tell by the hurt that flashed across Lance’s face that he’d fucked up.

Lance pouted and looked away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. After all, that’s why you’ve been avoiding me, right?”

_Shit! Shit! Shit! Abort mission!_

Before he could stop himself, his hand slipped into Lance’s empty one. How he’d managed to miss the ukulele that the brunet walked in with was beyond him, but he had bigger things to worry about at the moment.

Relief flooded him when the blue paladin didn’t pull away. “Lance… I promise it’s not like that.”

 _Dear God, he’d have to sit down for this one._ He lightly tugged on Lance’s hand to guide him to his bed, taking a seat on the edge. The brunet silently sat beside him, prompting him to continue. “Damn it, Lance, I… this isn’t easy to just say. And it’s probably going to sound really stupid and cliché.” He was keenly aware of the blush rising to his cheeks again. He attempted to mask it but threading the fingers of his free hand through his hair. “You make me feel… things. Things I’ve never felt before. Good things, I’d like to think. But… I don’t know how to deal with them. I thought that… if I put some distance between us they might go away.”

There was a pregnant pause that left Keith worrying at his lip. He’d felt Lance tense beside him for the duration of his rambling confession. Sweat was beginning to pool between their joined hands. He didn’t dare look at Lance’s face, fearful of the rejection that he’d see. Heck, Lance was probably trying to find a gentle way to let him down.

Finally, Lance pulled his hand away, Keith suppressing a whine when his fingers slipped through his. He chanced a glance at the other when he felt him shifting, only to watch him rest his ukulele across his lap. The brunet offered a bashful smile when he caught Keith’s gaze.

“I, uh, think this will clear everything up,” he stated, strumming a few chords. “I was trying to write this in a song, but I couldn’t think of anything good enough, so I went with a classic.” He cleared his throat, a faint dusting of pink resting on the apples of his cheeks.

_“Wise men say only fools rush in._

_“But I can’t help falling in love with you~”_

Was it possible to give yourself a sunburn? Keith was certain that cheeks weren’t meant to be this enflamed. And was his jaw literally hanging open?

_“Shall I stay?_

_“Would it be a sin?_

_“If I can’t help falling in love with you~”_

A part of Keith wanted to stop him there. He wanted to yank the instrument from his hands and have a rational discussion with him. Another part wanted to curl up beside him and listen to his melodious voice forever.

_“Like a river flows surely to the sea,_

_“Darling so it goes,_

_“Some things are meant to be~_

Lance offered his arm out like an escort to his date, not missing a note as he strummed. _“Take my hand, take my whole life too,”_

Keith shyly hooked his arm with Lance’s, gently resting his head on the brunet’s shoulder.

_“For I can’t help falling in love with you~”_

_“Like a river flows surely to the sea,_

_“Darling so it goes,_

_“Some things are meant to be~_

_“Take my hand, take my whole life, too,_

_“For I can’t help falling in love with you.”_

Just like that the moment was over and reality came crashing back down on them. Keith reluctantly lifted his head off of Lance’s shoulder to look up at him. The blue paladin was staring at him with an anxious expression. There was a period of silence between them, neither knowing what to say to the other. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, but Keith could tell that Lance wanted to say something just as badly as he did.

“My dad used to serenade my mom with that song,” the brunet finally supplied. “It was the first song that he taught me on ukulele, too. I was super excited to find one at the last space mall we stopped at.”

“It’s like a little piece of home,” the red paladin agreed with a gentle smile.

“Exactly. I’ve been learning new songs, but I think this one will always be my favorite.”

“Because of your parents?”

“No, because I got to share it with you.”

Keith’s eyes shot up to meet Lance’s confident sapphire ones. “S-So… does that make it our song now?”

Lance set the ukulele aside and grabbed Keith’s hands, weaving his fingers between the other teen’s. “If you’d like it to be.”

“Would you sing it for me again?”

“I’d sing it for you a million times because the lyrics will always be true.”

 _Damn, that was smooth!_ Keith felt his cheeks ignite again. Despite the embarrassment that gnawed at his insides, he smiled gently and gripped Lance’s hands firmly. “Then I accept.”

He leaned in slowly, Lance meeting him halfway. Their lips faintly brushed against each other when the door suddenly slid open, Pidge and Hunk racing in excitedly.

“We did it!!” Pidge shouted, fist pumping.

“Congrats, you two! It’s about time!” Hunk smirked.

Keith jumped away from the compromising position, attempting to hide his burning face behind a pillow. Lance, on the other hand, looked absolutely livid, standing to confront the intruders with his fists clenched.

“What the quiznak, guys? Were you spying on us?!”

Just then, Shiro appeared in the doorway with his arms crossed, chest rising and falling rapidly as if he’d just run laps around the castle. “I thought I told you two to leave them alone.”

Pidge and Hunk squeaked, lowering their heads in shame. “Sorry, Space Dad.”

Shiro merely rolled his eyes at the nickname, grabbing each of the meddlesome teens by an ear and dragging them out. “Dinner’s in an hour. Remember to use protection!” he called over his shoulder as the door shut behind him.

“Shiro!” Keith had never seen Lance’s face so red, though he could only assume that his was just as bad.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> Come scream at me on Tumblr [@after-midnightmunchies](https://after-midnightmunchies.tumblr.com) :P


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